Shopper&#39;s bag



May 16, 1944,.

M. l. WICK sHoPPERs BAG Filed Oct. 50, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l M. l. WICK sHoPPERs BAG May w, ma

Filed 0pt. 30, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iii.: illu Patented May 16, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oFPlcE SHOPPERS BAG Mary Irene Wick, University City, Mo. Application October 30, 1943, Serial No. 508,355

(Cl. G-1.7)

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a shoppers bag; and has special reference to bags that are adjustable and foldable, and extendable to provide bags of different sizes for receiving and holding different quantities of articles according to needs on different occasions of use of the bag.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved shoppers bag composed of walls of foldable and pliable material attached together to form a vertically elongated bag that is open only along the top for the insertion and removal of articles; to provide a handle member detachably secured to the upper end or margin of each side wall functioning to hold said side walls extended longitudinally in substantially parallel arrangement, as handles for manually supporting and carrying the bag in any of its adjusted forms or capacities, and as elements cooperating to hold the bag adjusted or folded in its minimum form or capacity; to provide means in connection with the side walls of the bag below said members for engaging one of Said members to hold the bag folded, leaving said side walls free for movement from each other to open the bag, and for optionally engaging the other one of said members to hold the bag in folded form and also closed; to provide elements in connection with the side walls of the bag for cooperating with said means to hold the bottom wall of the bag folded and extended upwardly between the side walls and thereby holding the walls of the bag adjusted to provide a bag having a capacity greater than the minimum capacity and less than the maximum capacity; and to make provision whereby the Walls of the bag may be extended to form a bag of maximum capacity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoppers bag composed of fiexible and pliable walls, in combination with means connected with said Walls for holding the same in different folded forms and adjusted positions to form a bag of a predetermined capacity and leaving the bag free to be enlarged optionally from a minimum capacity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoppers bag composed of flexible and pliable walls having flexible and pliable margins alongv and around the opening into the bag, and a supplemental holder or receptacle within the bag and attached to said flexible and pliable margin of one of said walls, in combination with substantially inflexible handle members connected with said margins of said walls and functioning to` hold said walls and said holder or receptacle extended longitudinally, and also functioning as handles for manually supporting and carrying the bag.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in whichl Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoppers bag folded to form a bag of minimum capacity.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bag showing the walls extended to form a bag of intermediate capacity.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bag having the end walls extended to form a bag having a capacity larger than the capacity of the bag shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the bag extended to maximum capacity.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional View on the line 6-6 of Fig.-2.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing more plainly the structure for holding together the lower edges of the side walls and preventing the bottom wall of the bag from spreading or extended to form a bag of maximum capacity.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal cross-sectional View on the line 8--8 of Fig, 5, showing the bag extended to maximum capacity.

Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5, also showing the bag extended to maximum capacity.

In the embodiment of the invention shown and which may be widely varied in order to provide bags of different forms, shapes and capacities, the body of the bag is composed of a foldable and pliable side wall I, a complementary foldable and pliable side Wall 2, two foldable and pliable end walls 3, and a bottom wall. The bottom wall may integrally connect the side walls I and 2. shown, the bottom wall comprises extensions 4 and 5 of the walls I and 2, respectively. Preferably, but optionally, the walls I and 2, with their respective extensions 4 and 5, are rectangular in form and are attached by lines of stitches 6, or otherwise, to the inturned side edge and bottom margins of` the two rectangular end walls 3. The adjacent margins of the bottom wall forming extensions 4 and 5 are inturned and attached together by a line of stitches 1, or otherwise, as desired. The stitches 1 will be omitted when the bottom wall integrally connects the walls l and 2. This leaves the upper margins of the Walls I and 2 unattached and provides a bag that is substantially rectangular in cross-section when open, as should be understood by reference to Figs. 8 and 9. The vertical length of the bag is dened by the vertical length of the end walls 2, the horizontal' length of the bag is defined by the horizontal length or width of the walls I, and the transverse width of the bag is defined by the transverse width of the walls 3 and the bottom wall 4-5.

Two vertically extended loops 8 of flexible and pliable material are attached to the upper inwardly turned margin 9 of the wall I adjacent to the end walls 3 by stitches I0, or otherwise, as desired. Any number of additional flexible loops II of the same length as the loops 8 may be attached to the upper margin of the wall I by the same line of stitches I that also secure the inturned margin 9 to the body of said wall I. A substantially inflexible handle member I2 extends through the loops 8, and may also be extended through the loops I I, and functions to hold the side wall I extended longitudinally without folds, wrinkles, or creases along its upper margin. In order to perform their intended functions, the loops 3 and II are flexible and the handle member I2 is substantially inflexible. It may be made of wood or other appropriate material.

Two vertically extended loops I3 of flexible and pliable material are attached tothe upper inwardly turned margin I4 of the wall 2 adjacent to the end walls 3 by stitches I5 or otherwise, as desired. The loops I3 may be opposite, that is, alined with or disalined from, the loops 8, as desired. For convenience of illustration, the loops I3 are shown (Figs. 2 and 3) disalined or offset from the loops 8. Any number of additional flexible loops I5 may be attached to the upper margin of the wall 2 by said stitches I5. A substantially inflexible handle member Il, of wood or other suitable material, extends through the loops I3, and may also be extended through the loops I6 in order to hold the side wall 2 extended longitudinally parallel with the wall I and without folds, wrinkles, or creases along its upper margin.

The loops 8 and II are of the same length so that the handle member I2 may be extended through all of said loops. Also, the loops I3 and IS are of equal length so that the handle member I1 may be extended through all of them. Preferably, the series of loops 8 and II are of a different length from the series of loops I3 and I6 so that the handle members II and I'I do not lie side by side. All of said loops are of sufficient length so that the handle members I2 and I1 are far enough from the edges of the walls I and 2 to permit the hand to be extended easily and conveniently between said handle members and said walls without bending or flexing the latter.

At the fold of the wall I to form the bottom part 4, two flexible and pliable loops I8 are attached adjacent to the end walls 3 by stitches I9 or otherwise, as desired. Any number of additional flexible loops 20 may be attached to the lower marginal portion of the wall I in longitudinal alinement with the loops I8 by stitches 2| or otherwise, as desired. A substantially inflexible handle member 22 extends through the loops I8 and may also be extended through the loops 20in order to hold the side wall I extended longitudinally and cooperate directly with the handle member I2 for that purpose.

A number of flexible and pliable loops 23 of the same vertical length as the loops I8 and 20 are attached to the lower margin of the wall 2 adjacent to the fold line forming the inward extension 5. The handle member 22 may be extended through the series of loops I8 and 20 and optionally through the series of loops 23 to hold the lower ends of the side walls I together as shown in Fig. 6, in which position the bottom wall 4--5 is extended between the walls I and 2, and the lower ends of the end walls 3 may be folded inwardly and upwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Then the side walls I and 2 may be folded to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 to cover the wall 2. Loops 24 attached to the lower margin of the wall I may be engaged with the handle member II to hold the bag adjusted and folded in minimum form and capacity, leaving the upper margins of the walls I and 2 movable apart to open the bag, as indicated in Fig. 4. Or the loops f 24 may be engaged with the handle member I2 to prevent the walls I and 2 from moving apart, and to hold the bag closed.

By disengaging the loops 24 from the handles I2 and I'I, respectively, the bag may be extended to the form shown in Fig. 6, in which the bottom 4--5 is extended upwardly into vthe bag between said walls I and 2, and in which the lower ends of the walls 3 are infolded. By disengaging the handle member 22 from the loops I8, or from the loops 23, or detaching said handle member from all of said loops, the bag may open to maximum size, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Familiar zipper devices 25, provided with a slide 26, may be attached to the upper margins of the end walls 3 for holding the upper ends of the walls 3 unfolded between the walls I and 2. By moving the slide 26 upwardly along the fasteners 25 from the middle position shown in Figs. 6 and y9 to positions adjacent to the walls I and 2, the end walls 3 will be held thereby in infolded positions, as should be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. When the slides 26 are moved to their middle positions, as shown in Figs. 3 and 9, the upper ends of the walls 3 may be unfolded and spread apart to the maximum capacity of the bag.

A supplemental holder or receptacle may be secured to the flexible and pliable margin of one of the side walls and enclosed within the bag. As shown, said supplemental holder or receptacle is composed of two flexiblev and pliable walls 21 and 28 having a connection 29 at their lower margins and having their upper margins attached to the wall I by the stitches I0. The walls 21 and 28 are attached together at one end by stitches 3U or otherwise, thus providing a holder or receptacle that is closed along its upper and lower sides and along one end, and is open at the opposite end` This provides a convenient means for carrying ration books, identification cards, small purses, and other articles.

From the foregoing, it is evident that this invention attains its intended objects and purposes efficiently and economically, and comprises a foldable and pliable shoppers bag that may be opened to various sizes or that may be secured in different folded positions to provide a bag of varying capacity. I do not restrict myself to the use of textile materials in the formation of the walls, nor to the use of wood in forming the handle members. Neither does the invention require the presence of the zipper devices 25-26 in connection with the end walls 3. The invention may be varied in numerous other particulars without departure from the nature and principle thereof.

I claim:

l. A shoppers bag composed of two complementary foldable and pliable end walls, two complementary foldable and pliable side walls attached to said end walls and attached together at their lower ends to close the lower end of the bag and having their upper ends unattached to form an opening at the upper end f the bag, elements attached to and projecting upwardly beyond the upper margins of said respective side walls adjacent to said end walls, two substantially inflexible handle members attached to said elements at a distance from the upper ends of said side walls forming a space for the hand grasping said two handle members and also holding said side walls stretched nearly parallel with each other, elements attached to the lower ends of said side walls, and a substantially inflexible handle member attached to said last named elements at a distance from the lower ends of said side walls forming a space for the hand grasping said three handle members while said side walls are folded to place said last named handle member adjacent to said two rst named handle members.

2. A shoppers bag composed of two comple.- mentary foldable and pliable side walls, two foldable and pliable end walls attached to said side walls, a foldable and pliable bottom wall attached to the lower ends of said side walls and cooperating therewith to form a bag that is open only along the top, a handle member attached to the upper end of each of said side walls, elements attached to and projecting downwardly beyond the lower ends of said respective side walls, and a substantially inflexible handle member attached to said elements at a distance from the lower ends of said side walls forming a space for the hand grasping said last named handle member and said rst handle members when said side walls are folded upwardly to place said last named handle member adjacent to said first handle members, and also holding the lower ends of said side walls stretched nearly parallel with each other and said bottom wall folded and extended between said side walls.

3. A shoppers bag composed of two complementary foldable and pliable side walls having elongated upper and lower ends, two foldable and pliable end walls attached to the respective ends of said side walls, a foldable and pliable bottom wall attached to the lower ends of said side and lend walls and cooperating therewith to form an elongated bag that is open only along the top, substantially inflexible handle members attached to the elongated upper ends of and holding said side walls longitudinally extended, longitudinally spaced flexible elements attached to and projecting downwardly below the lower ends of said respective side walls, and a substantially inflexible member extending longitudinally of said side walls approximately parallel with said handle members attached to said elements and cooperating therewith and holding the lower ends of said side walls extended longitudinally adjacent to each other and holding said bottom wall folded and extended upwardly between the lower ends of said side walls to f orm a bag of a desired capacity.

4. A shoppers bag composed of two complementary foldable side walls having elongated upper and lower ends, two foldable and pliable end walls attached to the respective ends of said side walls, a foldable and pliable bottom wall attached to the lower ends of said side and end walls and cooperating therewith to form an elongated bag that is open only along the top, flexible elements attached to and projecting upwardly beyond the upper margins of said respective side walls adjacent to said endwalls, two elongated inilexible handle members attached to said elements at different distances respectively from the upper ends of said side walls forming a space for the hand grasping said two handle members and also holding said side walls stretched longitudinally parallel with each other, elements attached to the lower ends of said side walls, a substantially inflexible handle member attached to said last named elements at a distance from the lower ends of said side walls forming a space for the hand grasping said three handle members while said side walls are folded to place said last named handle member adjacent to said two rst named handle members, and two flexible elements attached to the lower end of one of said side walls for detachably engaging one of said first named handle members to hold said side walls folded as aforesaid.

MARY IRENE WICK. 

